Q&A with Tess Gerritsen

 

Photo by Josh Gerritsen

 

Tess Gerritsen is the author of the new novel The Spy Coast. Her many other books include the Rizzoli & Isles series. Also a retired physician and a filmmaker, she lives in Maine.

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Spy Coast, and how did you create your characters Maggie Bird and Jo Thibodeau?

 

A: The small Maine town where I live happens to have quite a few CIA retirees who've settled here over the decades. I was curious about what retirement is like for them.

 

When you've had a career with a global reach, when you're privy to international secrets you can't share, what do you do with yourself after retirement? Who do you associate with, how do you spend your final years?

 

That's when the voice of Maggie Bird popped into my head, saying: "I'm not the woman I used to be." Which made me want to explore what kind of woman DID she used to be? That led to an exploration of Maggie's past as a covert agent abroad.

 

Jo Thibodeau was inspired by some of the strong, solid women I've met here in Maine. People who've been here for generations, who are plugged into the local communities and know who's going to cause trouble and who isn't. She's practical, reliable, a plow horse of a cop. I love the contrast between her and Maggie.

 

Q: The Publishers Weekly review of the novel says, in part, that "the real surprise is the richness of Gerritsen’s supporting cast, a cantankerous bunch whose love for one another runs deep." What do you think of that assessment?

 

A: I'm delighted that these characters came alive for the reviewer as well! I rub shoulders with so many clever retirees up here -- people with fascinating careers and a wealth of knowledge, and my Martini Club is very much a reflection of the people in my community.

 

Q: As you mentioned, the novel is set in Maine, where you live--how important is setting to you in your writing?

 

A: I couldn't have written that Maine setting without knowing it as well as I do. Having lived through 33 winters up here, I'm very familiar with the changing seasons, how the air smells differently as the months pass, and how miserably cold it can get.

 

Spy Coast is set during a Maine winter, and that gray and colorless atmosphere becomes part of the story. These ex-spies are used to fading into the background, and the grayness of the setting matches the grayness of their facades.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?

 

A: I hope it gives them a greater appreciation for retirees and their talents. As we age, we feel more and more ignored, even though we have so much to contribute.

 

I look around at my community, which is very much full of retirees, and I see gray-haired people still active in politics, environmental causes, and world affairs. They're wise, vital citizens, and they inspire me. 

 

Q: What are you working on now? Will there be more stories about Maggie?

 

A: I'm finishing up the next book in the Martini Club series, called The Summer Guests. It features the same characters, but the story is focused more on the small town of Purity, and the mysterious disappearance of a teenage girl. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: The Spy Coast has been optioned for development by Amazon Studios. Here's hoping you'll see it eventually as a television series.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Tess Gerritsen.